Botanical Garden admission fee takes root

A split Board of Supervisors, in a hold-your-nose-vote, gave preliminary approval today to a new admission fee for non-San Francisco residents visiting the Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park.

”It’s a horrible decision … but I think it’s one thing we can do to help our overall budget problem,” said Supervisor John Avalos, chairman of the board’s budget committee.

The board granted the Recreation and Park Department permission to impose the fee for one year. Extending it beyond that would require another vote at the board next year.

The money-making plan is expected to net the cash-strapped Recreation and Park Department $250,000 a year, enough to cover the cost of three gardeners.

Out-of-town visitors will be charged $7 to enter the intensively groomed specialty gardens. Seniors and youth will pay reduced rates, from $2 to $5. There will be no charge for children 4 and under. San Francisco residents will continue to get free entry.

The proposed admission charge deeply divided the public, with advocates on both sides of the debate waging petition drives and showing up en masse at public hearings to testify.

Supervisor Eric Mar, who voted against the fee, said he fears that it won’t be long before San Francisco residents will have to start paying. He also is philosophically opposed to charging people for something in the public park that now is free. ”An arboretum should be free for everyone,” he said.

The board mandated that should new tax revenue be made available for the Recreation and Park Department, the non-resident fee would be rescinded.